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December 04, 2020
The time has come for twinkling lights, candles in windows, the fragrance of pine needles, wrapping paper, eggnog, milk punch, and champagne bottles popping. This holiday season, we are thinking intently about our mission to curate consciously made goods and apparel, and how to apply these values to gift giving. The sad and ugly truth is that gifting in a traditional sense can be unsustainable, and at its worse, even wasteful. We always want to give our loved ones something that will be a surprise and garner that moment of excitement when they unwrap it. But giving a gift that is actually used and sustains joy after that initial opening can be hard. Often we end up giving things that we think are exciting, but perhaps our friends regift, or worse put away to never again see the light of day, so they eventually end up in the landfill. This is wasteful for the planet and also your effort!
Call us eternal optimists, but we don't think it has to be that way, and we definitely are not giving up on gifting any time soon. We truly believe it is possible to keep alive the magic and joy of holiday gifting without contributing so much to waste - we just have to challenge ourselves to think a little differently and get creative! What if we replaced the trinket stocking stuffers that get forgotten on December 26 with things the recipient will actually use? I love the idea that when you get someone something they can wear in their every day life (even if its something as unglamorous as a pair of cozy socks), they may think of you every time they put them on. Even if it means reducing the number of gifts to give one or a few meaningful pieces that they will treasure. The most conscious and sustainable way to gift is to be truly thoughtful - to consider the recipient, what they like, what they could use, and what they would actually buy for themselves, more than focusing on the surprise of a gift that gives just a fleeting moment of novelty.
Obviously, being thoughtful is way easier said than done. Natalie is the ultimate pro at this - keeping a list in her phone all year long, earmarking moments where friends say they want something, or like something, and referring back to it later. But whether you are a natural at gathering clues, or woke up on December 1st in a panic with no idea what to get all your bffs, we have some tips to make finding that conscious, thoughtful gift a little easier.
1. Food & Drink
When has a basket of artisanal pantry goodies, a luscious bottle of olive oil, or a beautiful bottle of wine ever gone unloved? There are so many ways you can make this simple gift special. The way I like to go about it is to find a small business to order from that will ship or deliver directly; my personal fave for specialty foods is Formaggio Kitchen (if you are in New England, the shipping prices are so reasonable!) and for wines I always work with Nicole at The Savory Grape locally, and with Dry Farm Wines when shipping (they ship for free when you gift 6 bottles!). Once you find the shop you are gifting from, pick out some of your favorites, or things you know they love. Send imported pasta to your friend who spent their honeymoon in Italy, or an assortment of mustard to transport back a bestie who raved about bratwurst stands at a German Christmas market. Natalie and my moms share a love of North Carolina's Southern Season from our university days in Chapel Hill, and every time they send each other a basket it acts as a reminder of our memories from that time. You can include a sweet note explaining your picks, which makes the recipient savor each one that much more. Remember - the price tag on these gifts is not what makes them special - a $20 bottle of wine you shared and loved at a happy hour date last year that will bring back good memories may be more thoughtful than a splurge on a $50 bottle they have never had before.
2. Everyday Luxuries
These are the items you cannot live without that may be missing from your friend's toolbox! It can be a cookbook you know they will love, a starting set of 4 fancy crystal wine glasses, your favorite moisturizer, a fragrance that reminds you of their personality, or even something they may not have heard of like a rechargeable lighter for your friend with an extensive candle collection. We use these items in our everyday and never think twice about it, but if we love and use them, chances are our friends will too. For Natalie's birthday this year, part of my gift to her was a set of my favorite masks from Mate the Label (that's 2020 for you). They were the most comfy that I'd found, and now both of us wear them every single day. It's a little thing, but it always brings me joy to see someone wearing or enjoying something I gave them, even if it's something as unglamorous as a mask. (Although to be honest, these masks are pretty chic, so maybe they are kind of glamorous after all)...
3. Living Things
Not everyone has a green thumb, but for your friends that do, gifting an herb plant, an orchid, or an indoor tree is truly special. This has become a funny tradition in my life in the last couple of years. One of my dearest friend's mother gifted Natalie and me two palm plants when we opened our shop, and they are still thriving in our windows on Bellevue. They have become a symbol in my mind of her kindness and our good fortune to have such lovely friends and supporters. The next year, my dad gave me a lemon and lime tree, and my friends have taken to adding to my indoor citrus grove ever since. These living gifts immediately became a part of my every day, and I think of the people who gave them to me every time I water them, or harvest a fruit!
4. Experiences
The best part about giving experiences is that absolutely nothing goes to waste - you support the business or individual offering it, and the recipient gets to enjoy the time in the moment, and also hold on to the memory. No matter the budget, there should be an experience that you can give that will be special. From the big (like a weekend getaway) to the small (like a cooking class offered by a local chef, or an hour massage from the best therapist in town), these gifts can be so personal. You can also gift an item that lends itself to an activity that you know your friend loves - for example, a deck of tarot cards for the friend who is always getting a psychic reading, or a beautiful wooden scrabble board for the friend who loves hosting game night.
5. Small & Sustainable
When you do have an object in mind for a gift, shopping small to support local or family businesses makes everyone (the business owner, the giver, and the recipient) happy. Even better if you can shop from a small business that is conscious in the sustainable and ethical sourcing of what they sell. Instead of purchasing plastic gizmos or toys from a large company, what if you got your nieces and nephews books from a local bookstore, dress up clothes from a local children's boutique, or hand made toys and trinkets from a maker on Etsy?
For big occasions that warrant big gifts, I love the idea of getting something your loved one will cherish for years to come. But what if when searching for that special designer piece, you purchased it from family business instead of a department store? When I wanted to gift my dad a Barbour jacket last year, I found the perfect one with the help of the amazing guys at The Royal Male. They had so much knowledge about the brand, styles, and fits, and made the entire experience personal. Plus, I love knowing that when he needs to get the jacket waxed, he can just bring it right into town and they will take care of the rest.
This is where we feel like we fit in. We hope when we help our customers shop for gifts, we make the whole experience more fun and individual, but also add value because of the way we source the brands and pieces we carry (you can read more about that here). Your dollar is paying not just for the piece you gift, but also for your customer service experience, the fair working conditions for the worker that made the item, and the more eco conscious materials and factory practices used.
6. Apparel
Clothing can be tricky to gift, and to be frank, if you don't know the recipient, their size, and what they like very, very well, I would recommend steering clear. That being said, it's a totally different story when you are confident that the recipient is someone you can shop for and delight with your picks. I know I'm biased as a clothes hound, but these gifts are always my favorite to receive. There is something sweet about gifting anything from jewelry, to shoes, to a sweater because the wearer will always think of you (if only for a moment) when they put it on. It's a connection and meaning given to something otherwise inanimate.
If your friend complimented you on something in your closet, get them something similar, or a piece to introduce them to that brand. If there's a sweater or a pair of leggings you discovered this year that you are just living in, chances are a friend with a similar style will also be in love.
We spend so much time, money, and effort on gifting, and the truth is the real purpose is to show our love, and to spark child-like joy in those closest to us. The more thoughtful you can be about what you are getting for each loved one, where you are getting it, and then taking the time to detail what is unique or special about it, and why you thought of it for them, the more special the gift will be. The more a gift is loved, the more sustainable our practices are over time. I honestly can't think of something more worthy of holiday cheer than that.
Finally, I think that the most underrated and precious part of a gift can be a hand-written note that explains the thought you put behind the gift you are giving, or just lets them know how much they mean to you. A heart felt, hand-written card warms my heart and gives me a burst of Christmas spirit in a way that no material gift could. In a world where so much of our communication is digital, I feel that having a hand to pen and paper is more valuable than ever. If you do decide to send a gift from our shop, know that we always offer to include hand-written notes with our packages - just let us know what you would like us to write in the order notes at checkout.